1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a slime preventing/removing agent which is installed in a place where metabolites of miscellaneous germs, mildews and the like cause slime and bad smells, such as drain outlets of kitchen sinks, bathrooms and toilet floors, and is useful to remove slime, to prevent the occurrence of slime or to control slime. The present invention also relates to a slime remover and container for it, and a method of removing slime with them. The invention particularly relates to a slime remover for a garbage basket in a kitchen sink, of a type that the drain outlet of a household kitchen sink is made wider than the main drainpipe, a garbage basket is installed which collects garbage coming out together with drainage, such as cooking material wastes, and the remover is discarded when a certain amount of garbage is accumulated.
2. Background Art
It is known that the main ingredient of slime in the drain outlets of kitchen sinks and bathrooms is polysaccharides secreted by bacteria, when they use food materials, surface active agents, soaps, human dirt and others as nutrient sources.
It is so far well-known, as slime preventing chemicals for garbage baskets installed in the drain outlets of household kitchen sinks, that tablets, of which a chlorine-type oxidizing agent, such as trichloroisocyanuric acid, dichloroisocyanuric acid or bromochlorodimethylhydantoin, alone or its mixture with other ingredients is pressure molded, are stored in plastic nets or basket-shaped containers, and hung by strings or the like in garbage baskets for preventing the occurrence of slime in the baskets (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-128090). These chemicals have been marketed by trade names, such as “Slime Removing Agents”, for practical use for the last few years.
Among the chemicals mentioned above, slime removing agents of bleaching powder type exhibit effects on the prevention of slime and bad smells of garbage baskets, thanks to the powerful sterilizing power of the active ingredient of a hypochlorite oxidizing agent, and are therefore used widely. Because of their powerful oxidizing power, garbage baskets and drainpipe materials around them become deteriorated or corroded, and poisonous chlorine gas is also generated. An amount of chlorine gas generated increases particularly when the agent reacts with an acidic substance, such as vinegar, causing a dangerous situation. Isocyanuric acid-type chemicals containing trichloroisocyanuric acid or the like as the active ingredient have safety problems such that their contact with alkaline or sodium-hypochlorite detergents generates gas with irritating smells, such as explosive nitrogen trichloride.
To solve the above problems, there have been proposed a variety of “slime removing agents” using germicides other than chlorine-type oxidizing agents. For example, those known are peroxides such as sodium percarbonates, potassium persulfate and sodium perborate (Japanese Patents Laid-open Nos. Hei 8-268818 and 9-31495), iodine-type germicides such as povidone iodine (Japanese Patents Laid-open Nos. Hei 9-124423 and 9-227317), chemicals composing sulfur compounds, such as sulfite, and chemicals for pasteurization (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-124422), volatile pasteurizing agents such as ortho-phenylphenol, diphenyl, 2-isopropyl-5-methylphenol and hinokitiol (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-206040), inorganic germicides of which silver ions, copper ions or the like are supported by inorganic compounds such as zeolite or silica gel (Japanese Patents Laid-open Nos. Hei 8-157305, 9-30915 and 9-194313), and tablets of which industrial germicides or the like, such as para-chloromethaxylenol, alone or with appropriate dissolution regulators added are pressure molded.
These “slime removing agents” using germicides other than chlorine-type oxidizing agents are stored in plastic nets or basket-shaped containers and hung by strings or other means in the garbage baskets, similar to the “slime removing agents” composing chlorine-type oxidizing agents. Some of the above agents are marketed as “slime removing agents” using no oxidizing agents of chlorine type. They have weaker sterilizing power than known “slime removing agents” containing chlorine-type oxidizing agents as the active ingredients do and insufficient preventive effects on slime and bad smells so as not to have become popular yet.
Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 7-184823 has disclosed “slime removing agents” that an antimicrobial agent, such as a mixture of 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, is supported by porous fine inorganic particles, such as hollow porous silica, and stored in a water-permeable bag, for example, made of nonwoven fabric, or supported by a water-soluble substance, such as protein or polysaccharide, and made film. 5-Chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one has strong antimicrobial power and does not corrode materials or generates gas. However, it is easily soluble in water, so it has the disadvantage of a shorter shelf life than that of known chemicals. Besides, there is a safety issue when it is used in households due to severe skin irritation.
In addition to those mentioned above, known are devices having fixing sections to fix containers storing slime removing agents to garbage basket handles through the joints (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-292), types using garbage netting baskets coated with fluororesin (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-158441), devices jetting electrolytic, acidic, ionic water from circular pipes fixed around netting baskets (Japanese Publication No. of Utility Model Registration Hei 6-46069), and germ and mildew preventive devices supplying solutions having an action of preventing germs and mildews into the upper parts of inlet pipes (Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-154923).
It is an object of the present invention to provide a drain slime remover that can be easily installed in the upper part of an inlet pipe, is excellent in safety and handling, and can spread the agent-dissolved solution from a container storing a slime preventing/removing agent with appropriate solubility over the wall surface of the drainpipe. It was found that a pressure molded product of an antimicrobial agent, particularly a clathrate compound of an antimicrobial agent and a multi-molecular host compound, with a specific base material is not dangerous, is excellent in safety and handling, retains appropriate solubility and has a slime preventing/removing effect. Thus the present invention has been completed.